Dog walking is a profession. Dog walkers who run these walking businesses walk other people's dogs. Dog owners hire these dog walkers to maintain their dogs' walking routines. Daily walks keep dogs healthy and active. Dog walkers take their dogs for a specific amount of time daily, such as twice a day for 30 minutes. However, the walker is also responsible for the dogs. During walks, the dog walker must handle the dog properly and ensure its safety. If the dog engages in unwanted behavior on the road, it is essential for the walker to have dog walking liability insurance for their safety.
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| Insurance for Dog Walking Liability |
So, what is dog walking liability insurance? What does it cost? What are the types of coverage and benefits of this liability insurance? We'll cover the country-wise providers and more in this article.
What Is Dog Walking Liability Insurance?
Taking dogs for regular walks isn't everyone's cup of tea. It's even more challenging when dog owners are busy with work schedules or have health problems. Therefore, dog owners often hire dog walkers to take their dogs for walks, often for personal reasons. The goal is to ensure regular exercise and social interaction. This keeps dogs physically healthy and mentally active.
What is the purpose of dog walking liability insurance? Let me tell you, when a walker takes their dog for a walk, there are many people around. While the dog walker acts as a handler, the dog's behavior cannot always be controlled. Therefore, they need to obtain dog walking insurance to ensure their own and their dog's safety.
Dog walking liability insurance is a coverage policy that protects dog walkers against damage or injury to third parties caused by their dogs' unwanted behavior. The coverages provided in this dog walker liability insurance policy are as follows:
Dog walking liability insurance coverage includes:
Dog Walker Liability Insurance (Professional)
Professional liability insurance is needed when a dog owner files a claim against you for negligence.
Public Liability Insurance for Dog Walking
Public liability insurance provides protection against legal claims if a dog bites or injures a pedestrian while walking.
Additional Coverage
Additional coverage for dog walking liability insurance includes coverage for animal bail, payment of legal costs, and pet injuries.
Why Dog Walkers Need Liability Insurance
Dogs that run a dog-walking business or individual dog walkers face significant legal risks due to unexpected accidents. While walking, they not only have to care for their dogs but also ensure the safety of people in public places. Dog walkers are also responsible for ensuring that their property is not damaged by their dogs. Furthermore, if a dog bites someone or damages property, they must be financially capable of facing legal claims. Dog walker liability insurance is essential in all these situations.
Other reasons why liability insurance is important for dog walking
1) To cover injuries to people
If a walker accidentally or aggressively injures someone while taking their dog for a walk,
Dog walker liability insurance covers the cost of their injuries. This insurance covers the cost of medical treatment and compensation. Third-party accidents, dog bites, and other injuries caused by the dog can ensure that the dog walker is protected against all these expenses.
2) When the dog damages other people's property while walking.
Liability insurance for dog walking is necessary when the dog breaks people's belongings or damages other property, such as breaking garden items, tearing people's slippers, or sometimes breaking expensive items. The cost of all these things is covered by dog walking liability insurance.
3) Essential for dog owner or client trust
When a dog owner sends a walker with the dog for its health and to maintain a regular walking routine, dog walking liability insurance increases the client's trust in the walker. If you have this insurance, it ensures the safety of not only you but also your clients.
4) The dog itself may sometimes get injured while walking.
While there is separate pet insurance for dogs, does walker liability insurance also cover the dog? So, this insurance not only protects the walker but also covers the dog. If the dog falls while walking and suffers an injury or sprain, the insurance can cover the cost of its treatment. Dog accidents are also included in liability insurance coverage.
5) If a client or third party files a court case
Sometimes, a walker may face a client's negligence lawsuit. And they make legal claims against third parties for any sudden accidents caused by the dog. Liability insurance covers the legal expenses of the lawyers, court, and third parties involved in these cases, so dog walking liability insurance coverage is necessary.
6) Legal Requirements for Running a Dog Walking Business
In countries like the US, UK, Australia, and Canada, it is legally mandatory to have dog walker liability insurance for dog walking. Only then is your business licensed. Liability insurance for dog walking is mandatory for local councils in the UK and Australia and on platforms that share walking community experiences in the US and Canada.
What is a dog walking community, and what are community insights?
A walking community is a type of group made up of dog walkers, owners, and pet care business owners. In short, a group of people involved in dog walking.
The purpose of these groups is to share information about dog walking experiences, insurance, training, networking, safety, and more. For this purpose, this community utilizes online and pet service platforms such as Reddit, Rover, Wag, Facebook, and LinkedIn. They believe that dog walking liability insurance is essential for the dog walking profession.
Key insights from the community are as follows:
- Helpful for dog walking and other small businesses
- Helps enhance professional image and client trust
- A sense of fear and financial security
- Liability insurance is mandatory on the platform.
Types of Dog Walking Liability Insurance
There are several types of dog walking liability insurance. These coverage types provide coverage for all types of risks that may occur during dog walking. Information about each type is shared below.
Main Types of Walking Liability Insurance
1) Professional Liability Insurance for Dog Walkers
Professional walkers are responsible for everything from the dog's food to its medication, as per the owner's needs. If the dog walker is negligent or fails to provide proper care to the dog, resulting in illness, the dog owner can sue the walker. In this situation, professional liability insurance covers the walker's legal expenses. This professional liability insurance is most important for walkers who handle multiple dogs and large breeds.
2) Dog Walking Liability Insurance by the Day/Hour
Dog Walking Liability Insurance by the Day/Hour is for those who work short-term or part-time. The advantage of this insurance is that the premiums you pay depend on the amount of work you do. This is a daily or hourly coverage policy, and unlike other full-time policies, premiums do not have to be paid year-round.
3) Public Liability Insurance for Dog Walking
As we've always mentioned, public liability insurance pays compensation for damages and injuries to third parties. Similarly, public liability insurance coverage for dog walking covers the cost of bodily injury and property damage to third parties. According to local councils in the UK, having public liability insurance is mandatory.
4) 24-Hour Dog Walking Liability Insurance
This is a short-term insurance policy that provides coverage for one day or one hour in case of an emergency. This policy can be purchased online. It is useful for walkers who don't work regularly, meaning they handle dogs for one-day or irregular pet events, or who only work during holidays. There are also some working individuals who suddenly receive a 1- to 2- day dog-walking assignment from a client. For such dog walkers, 24-hour dog walking liability insurance is a good option for protection and doesn't require a significant investment.
5) Comprehensive Annual Plans
This is a type of dog walking liability insurance that offers better coverage for business owners or professional agencies. This comprehensive plan offers professional, public, and medical insurance coverage. These annual plans are significantly more expensive than other dog walking liability insurance, but they offer complete protection in a single policy.
Comparison Table of Dog Walking Liability Insurance Coverage Types
What Does Dog Walker Insurance Cover?
Dog walker insurance covers all possible risks associated with the dog walking profession. This prevents financial loss for both dog walkers and clients. The following table provides information on all dog walker insurance coverage types and the risks they cover.
Dog Walker Insurance Coverage
Cost of Dog Walking Liability Insurance
The cost of liability insurance for dog walkers varies depending on the dog walker's work and needs. For example, if a walker is a freelancer or does seasonal walking, basic plans are sufficient, which are cheaper. Similarly, many other factors determine the cost of dog walking liability insurance. The walker's country location or work location also matters. Short-term and annual plans are made according to the walker's time spent walking dogs. So, let's understand the cost of these plans through the table.
So, below, we have provided a table detailing the country-wise walking liability insurance costs based on your occupation.
Dog Walking Liability Insurance Cost (Monthly / Yearly)
Factors That Increase the Cost of Dog Walking Liability Insurance
The factors that increase the cost of pet care insurance are generally similar across different types of policies. And this is obvious because insurance costs vary depending on the rules and regulations of each type of policy, but the main reasons for the increase are location, number, coverage limit, etc. Therefore, dog walking liability insurance also has similar factors that increase the cost.
Factors Affecting Cost:
- Insurance coverage limit
- Dog walker's work type
- Add-ons added to the main policy
- Number of dogs handled by the dog walker
- Dog breed and size (high-risk)
- Location where the walker works
- What type of coverage the walker wants for the dog.
Best Dog Walking Liability Insurance Options
People need providers who offer trustworthy and beneficial policies. We'll share the best options among such dog walking liability insurance providers below.
Dog Walking Liability Insurance Options by Country
1) United Kingdom (UK)
Walking Insurance Providers
- AXA: These providers offer dog walking liability insurance at very affordable rates. Coverage costs start at £5/month.
- Cliverton: Their coverage limit is up to £5M. Set the limit according to your needs.
- Protective Insurance: This option is best for professional dog walkers.
- Brooks Braithwaite: Their plans are available with Pet Care and are flexible.
2) Canada
Walking Insurance Providers
- Petcareins: A good option for solo walkers.
- Pawlicy: Their insurance costs are low, and custom plans are available.
- Zensurance: Pet injury coverage is included with your business.
3) United States (USA)
Walking Insurance Providers
- Next Insurance: Offers good benefits at a low price, and the process is fast.
- Pet Care Insurance: Best for small businesses and freelancers. Their policies offer all-in-one coverage options.
- Thimble: Offers hourly and daily policies based on the dog walker's workload.
- Insureon: Offers the option to combine multiple insurance policies.
4) Australia
Walking Insurance Providers
- Pet Professional: Starts at AUD $52 per month.
- NDWA: Offers discounted coverage for dog walkers who are members.
- BizCover: Popular for fast online quotes
To choose the best dog walking liability insurance option
- Whether the policy includes costs and control and care.
- What are the public liability coverage limits?
- Whether the policy is worth the cost based on your work and work time.
- Whether the policy includes add-on coverage, such as legal expenses, equipment cover, etc.
- Learn about the dog walking community's experiences with policy providers.
How to Customize Your Dog Walking Liability Insurance
The biggest benefit is that you can customize your dog walking liability insurance to suit your needs. This option is not available with any other pet insurance. This is because some dog walkers work part-time or suddenly have short-term periods. Some work only during particular periods, such as holidays. These customizable plans are very useful for all of these individuals. This saves small business workers from having to pay high premiums by purchasing unnecessary coverage. So, learn how you can customize this liability insurance for dog walkers policy.
How to Customize Your Dog Walking Liability Insurance
The biggest benefit is that you can customize your dog walking liability insurance to suit your needs. This option is not available with any other pet insurance. This is because some dog walkers work part-time or suddenly have short-term periods. Some work only during particular periods, such as holidays. These customizable plans are very useful for all of these individuals. This option saves small business walkers from paying high premiums by purchasing unnecessary coverage. So, learn how you can customize this liability insurance for dog walkers policy below.
Tips for customizing your liability insurance for a dog walking policy
1) Choose the multi-pet and multi-pet location coverage option.
This option is for dog walkers who work for multiple dogs at different locations. The advantage of this is that liability-related accidents in any location can be easily covered.
2) Choose a higher coverage limit for longer-term protection.
You can customize the coverage limit in a dog liability policy. This policy limit can range from $1M to $5M. For new and small dog walkers, a $1M limit may be sufficient. For a larger, professional dog walking business, choose a coverage limit of $2M to $5M.
3) Choose the insurance term based on the duration of work.
Some liability insurance for dog walkers offers custom coverage by the hour, day, or month. So, you can adjust the policy term based on your work hours. Daily/hourly coverage is available for gig walkers or part-time walkers, and monthly or annual coverage is available for full-time walkers.
4) Add additional coverage to your policy.
Dog walking liability insurance also offers add-ons, covering coverage for things like walking your dog off-leash, being in a vehicle, turning over a client's keys, using pet apps, and walking at events.
5) Add plans based on your work.
Dog walkers can work individually or as part of a business team. Dog walkers can work individually or as part of a business team. If you're an individual dog walker, the basic plan available in your policy will provide good benefits. If you're working in a team and have assistants or employees, you'll need to add an employer's liability insurance plan. For walkers with larger dog walking businesses, comprehensive plans are beneficial.
6) Choose trustworthy and flexible policy providers.
You should choose policy providers that have consistently proven trustworthy in the insurance industry. Those with mostly positive policy reviews and flexible policies can provide you with good value. Flexible policies allow you to tailor coverage to your business needs.
Insurance Requirements for Self-Employed Dog Walkers
Dog walking liability insurance is mandatory in countries like the UK, US, Canada, etc. Whether you're a self-employed dog walker or a large walking business, you need to keep certain rules in mind. What are the insurance requirements for self-employed dog walkers according to different countries? Let's learn more.
Country-wise Insurance Requirements
1) United States
- Not legally required in the United States.
- Dog walking insurance is mandatory on gig platforms.
- In California, employees must have coverage.
- Liability insurance is required for small businesses or LLCs in many countries.
2) Canada
- Insurance is mandatory for licenses and permits if you want to start your own walking business.
- In many places, animal belly insurance is mandatory.
3) Australia
- Insurance is mandatory if you are a professional dog walker.
- Pet daycare operators are also required to have insurance here.
- Seasonal businesses are good for walkers and gig workers, and hourly or daily coverage is very popular.
Conclusion
Dog walking liability insurance is needed to protect the legal expenses of dog walkers. Why do dog walkers need legal protection? Because dog walkers care for and walk other people's dogs, they often handle multiple or high-risk dogs. Locations often vary. If dogs bite, injure, or damage property while walking or engaging in unwanted behavior, a third party can sue the walker. Additionally, clients whose dogs' health is compromised due to the walker's negligence can also file legal claims against the walker. Dog walking liability insurance provides coverage for legal expenses and treatment in all these situations.
FAQ—Dog walking liability insurance
Q1. Does pet care insurance cover liability?
Answer: Pet care insurance often provides liability coverage. If you are a professional dog walker, a separate dog walking liability insurance plan is a viable option. Pet Care Insurance provides all-in-one insurance for small dog-walking businesses and freelancers.
Q2. Is daily/hourly coverage worth it?
Answer: Daily/hourly coverage requires premiums based on the duration of your work. This is a very affordable and beneficial insurance option for irregular and small dog walkers. Daily/hourly coverage is worth it for gig walkers or part-time walkers.